Switch-operating mechanism.



A. T. DE WITT..

SWITCH CPERATING MECHANISM.

. APPLICATION FILED MAY18,19I6. 1352329.

Patented J an. 1, 1918.

NTTE

STATES PATENT OEFTCE ARTHUR T; DE wrr'r, or roam whYN I ND A AssIeNoR,BY ijI Ec: AND JVESNE ASSIGNMENT& or TWO-THIRDS VTO. FRE!) L. DE WITTAND ONE-THIRD TO M. SCHIFFER, BOTH OF CI-IICAGO, ILLINoIs.

swITcH oPERATING MEcHAN'IsM.

Application filed May 18, 1916.

To all whom it may camera:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR T. DE HT, a citizen of the United States,`residi-ng at Fort vVayne, in the county of Allen and State of Indiana,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Switch- OperatingMechanism, of which the following is a specification.

The present'inventionhas to do with improvements in' switch Operatingmechanism of the general type or classification of that shown in LettersPatent of the United States, No. 908,'T56, issued to me January 5, 1909,for' improvements in switch Operating mechanism. The present invention,however, has to do with certain improvements and features of inventionnot shownor'disclosed in the aforesaid Letters Patent.

I may further' state at this point that the present invention relates toimprovements in switch Operating mechanism of' that type in which theswitch can be thrown autonatically from the car and without thenecessity of stopping the car, thereby 'dispensing with the services ofa switchman who would otherwise berequired for throwing the switch.

One of the objects oi" 'the invention is to simplify the Construction ofa device of this type, while at the sametme giving it such mechanicalConstruction and principles of operation that it will be positive anddefinite in" its action.

In this connection another object is to lower the cost of manufactureand construction of the switch and eliminate as far as possible theliability to mechanical derangement in service.

Other objects and uses of the invention will appear from a detaileddescription of the same which consists in the features of Constructionand combinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 shows a longitudinal section through the switch Operatingmechanism being taken on the lines m-n and 0-p indicated on Fig. 2,looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 2 is a top View of the two boxes containing the main operativeparts, the covers being removed; and

Fig. 3 is a detail plan View of the roller carried by the car, and whichserves to op- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jarl;1918. Serial No. 98,467.

eratethe switch from the car and under the control of the motorman orother person on the car. p

Referring now to the drawing, and particularly to Fig. 2, the switch isdesignated by the letter E; The switch point of this switch isdesignated by the letter h. Located in the street pavement or right ofway at a point' adjacent to the switch is an operating box A containingcertain operative mechanisms. In' advance of the switch is anotherOperating box B which is also located in the pavement or permanentstructure of the right of way; A tube or pipe or the like C joinstogether the interier portions of the boxes A and B and carries anoperative connection which extends be'- tween them. 'It will beunderstood that the covers have been removed from the boxes A and' B soas to expose or reveal their interior Construction lVithin the box A isa double cam member e having a central point e' and two side wings 6 and6 respectively. This double cam is pivotedin its central portion at. thepoint 6 shown in F ig. 1, so that, as it is swung in the one directionor the other, its rear end'e will be thrown back and torth.

Behind this double cam is a lever or the like f pivoted to the point f.A pin f extends upwardly from the rear end 6 ot' the double cam' e andengages a slot or reccss in the lower face ofthe lever f, so that thesaid lever is swung back and forth in the one direction or the other bythe movements of the double cam. 'A link g has one end connected to thefree end of the lever at the point f and its other end connected to theswitch point at the point ft Consequently, the switch point will bethrown back and forth according to the movements of the double cam. Withthe parts shown in the full line position of Fig. 2, the switch pointstands in the position for the main line of the track. Upon swingng thedouble cam into the dotted line figure, the switch point will be drawnback into the dotted line position indioated.

The movements of the double cam are effected through the instrumentalityof a finger d which can be forced back and forth. This finger is pivotedat the point d' to one end of a rod c extending from the Operating box Bthrough the pipe or tube C. Upon reosition shown in said" tracting therod C, the finger always assumes the central position shown by the .fulllinos in Fig. 2, and it will swing the double cam e into the positionreverse from that which it formerly occupied. This is because theswnging of the double cam will carry the central point e' to one side orthe other of the position occupied by the finger d.

VVithin the Operating box B is a plate a pivoted at the point a. Theupper portion of this plate extends somewhat above the upper surface ofthe box, and also a slight distance above the street level, so that itis exposed to the operation 'of the roller D. This roller is carried onthe lower end of an arm D' which is a portion of ,the equipment of thecar, and normally stands in raised position elevated sufiiciently toinsure' that the roller D will clear the upper edge of the operatingplate a. Upon clepressing the arm and rollerthe roller will be throwndown, so that it will strike against the point a of the Operating platea', so as to throw the same forward against the force of the spring Z).The rear end of the rod 0 is pivoted to the plate a at the point ic, sothat the swinging of the plate will automatically Swing the double cam 6through the instrumentality of the finger d. As soon as the arm androller have passed away from the plate a, the same will be retracted bythe spring b.

It is to be observed that the cover plates for the boxes A and B areshown in position 'in Fig. 1.

I claim:

l. In a device of the class described, the

and a pair of side cam faces, a lever pivotally mounted in saidOperating box to swing on a vertical pivot behind the double cam member,an operating connection from the double cam member to the lever forSwing-` ing the 'lever in direction opposite to the direction ofmovement of the double cam member and simultaneously therewith, a linkconnection from said lever to the switch point, a hollow tubular memberconnecting the Operating boxes together, an Operating plate pivotallymounted in the other operating box to swing about a horizontal pivot,

said plate having a tooth projecting 'above the upper surface of saidOperating box, a

e finger mounted in the front portion of the when said lever isdepressedsubstautially as described. r i

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with a switchpoint and an operating lever carried by a vehicle traveling toward theswitch point, there being a' contacting portion on' the lower end ofsaid le ver, of an Operating box adjacent to the,

switch point, another Operating box in advance of the switch point, adouble cam pivi otally mounted in the first mentioned operating box toSwing about a vertical pivot, an

operative connection from said double cam*` to the switch point for thepurpose of moving the switch point back and forth according to themovements of the double cam, an Operating plate in the second mentionedoperating box, said plate being pivoted to swing about a horizontalpivot, and having a contacting portion extending above i the Operatingbox' wherein it is mounted and adapted for engagement by the Contactingportion of the lever when the same is lowered into operative position,an oscillatable finger in the first mentioned Operating box mounted inposition to engage the double cam member and throw the same in onedirection or the other, an operative connection from 'said finger to theOperating plate, and a spring normally retracting the Operating plateinto inoperative position, substantially as described. V

In testimony whereo'f I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twowitnesses.

ARTHUR T. DE WITT.

Witnesses:

C. A. BEATY, L. A. Tor'r.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents eaeh,`by addressingthe commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G."

